


Jumping to Conclusions

by orphan_account



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Agender Character, First Kiss, Genderless, Genderqueer, Genderqueer Character, Other, Trans Character, Trans Karkat Vantas, Transgender, transgender character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-08
Updated: 2013-12-08
Packaged: 2018-01-04 00:30:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1074899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>GC: TH3R3S SOM3TH1NG 1V3 B33N M34N1NG TO 4SK YOU<br/>GC: 1N L1GHT OF OUR R3C3NT M33T1NG<br/>CG: DEAR ANGELS' PUCKERED ANUSES, HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU TO STOP DUMPING SHIT ON ME ABOUT MY BLOOD</p><p> </p><p>Terezi starts to wonder about Karkat's gender after realizing he - they? - never actually stated their identity outright.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Jumping to Conclusions

When you first became Karkat’s server player and licked the image of him on your screen, you were surprised by how delicate his face tasted. For all his bravado online and grumpy messages, his features were positively dainty. You shrugged and got back to setting up his hive for Sgrub amidst his loud complaints.

When you actually met him face-to-face in the game, you realized that it hadn't just been a poor-quality microphone; his voice was unusually high. It wasn’t comically high, and certainly wasn’t as shrill as some of the girls you knew (Nepeta and Vriska, in particular), but it wasn’t quite in the same lower register as the other boys.

Was he actually a boy? You searched your memory and realized it was never actually stated. You had just assumed since Karkat was a boy's name. But now, something seemed off. Karkat dressed ambiguously enough; his baggy shirts and high-waisted pants certainly weren't feminine, but to be fair, you wore pants and everyone’s t-shirts were fairly similar styles.

After a few days of fighting together, you ended up back on your planet to do a quick quest without him. Your curiosity finally got the better of you, and you just outright asked.

GC: TH3R3S SOM3TH1NG 1V3 B33N M34N1NG TO 4SK YOU  
GC: 1N L1GHT OF OUR R3C3NT M33T1NG  
CG: DEAR ANGELS' PUCKERED ANUSES, HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU TO STOP DUMPING SHIT ON ME ABOUT MY BLOOD  
CG: YES WE'VE ALL MET IN PERSON AND TRUST EACH OTHER SO MUCH NOW, HOW FUCKING PEACHY.  
CG: IT'S AN EQUINOX FUZZY-FRUIT-PICKING PARTY OF HONESTY AND RAINBOWS IN HERE  
CG: BUT I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT, OK?  
CG: FOR THE LAST GODDAMN TIME.  
GC: W3 W1LL 4DDR3SS TH3 BL4ND FL4VOR OF YOUR CH4LKY GR4Y T3XT LAT3R  
GC: (YUCK BY TH3 W4Y)  
CG: YOU'VE COMPLAINED TO ME ABOUT THE FLAVOR OF SOLLUX'S TEXT BEFORE. YOU'RE HASSLING ME BECAUSE UNLIKE THE REST OF YOU FREAKS, I DON'T FEEL THE NEED TO WEAR MY COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT SPOT ON THE HEMOSPECTRUM ON MY INTERNET HANDLE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.  
GC: TH1S 1SNT 4BOUT YOUR BLOOD  
CG: … YOU COULD HAVE JUST SAID SO.  
GC: 1 D1D  
GC: YOU JUST JUMP3D TO CONCLUS1ONS  
CG: YOU COULD HAVE STARTED WITH SAYING THIS WASN’T ABOUT MY BLOOD.  
GC: W3LL TH1S W4Y W4S MOR3 FUN FOR M3 >:]  
CG: FUCK OFF  
CG: SO WHAT IS IT THEN?  
GC: 1M 4CTU4LLY NOT QUIT3 SUR3 HOW TO 4SK TH1S  
GC: YOU JUST  
GC: H4V3 SORT OF 4 H1GH VO1C3  
CG: OH HERE WE GO  
GC: NO 1 W4S JUST WOND3R1NG 1F TH3R3S 4NYTH1NG YOU W4NT3D TO T3LL M3  
GC: 1 DONT W4NT TO M4K3 4SSUMPT1ONS  
GC: BUT YOU SM3LL MOR3 D3L1C1OUS TH4N BOYS USU4LLY DO  
CG: YOUR GROSS OBSESSION WITH PEOPLE’S BODILY STENCHES ASIDE, SO WHAT?  
CG: I NEVER CLAIMED THAT I WAS A BOY  
CG: SOMEONE JUST STARTED ASSUMING ALONG THE WAY  
GC: W3LL K4RK4T 1SNT 4 V3RY G1RLY N4M3  
CG: IT ISNT EXPLICITLY A MASCULINE ONE EITHER, FUCKWIT  
CG: IN FACT, THE HEROINE IN “A HIGHBLOOD TAKES A STROLL ALONG THE SEASIDE AND IS ATTACKED BY A VICIOUS SEADWELLER  
CG: ONLY TO FIND OUT THE SEADWELLER IS HER CHILDHOOD BLACK CRUSH, AT WHICH POINT  
GC: 1 KNOW TH3 MOV13 YOUR3 T4LK1NG 4BOUT  
GC: Y34H TRU3 1 FORGOT TH3R3 W4S 4 GIRL 1N 1T N4M3D K4RK4T  
GC: 1 GU3SS 1V3 MOSTLY H34RD 1T US3D 4S 4 BOYS N4M3  
CG: SO WHOSE FAULT IS THAT ASSUMPTION NOW?  
GC: W3LL 1T W4SNT JUST M3  
GC: IM PR3TTY SUR3 3V3RYON3 THINKS YOUR3 A BOY  
GC: SO  
GC: 4R3 YOU 4 BOY OR 4 G1RL?  
CG: NEITHER  
GC: >:?  
CG: WHY IS THAT SO FUCKING HARD TO UNDERSTAND  
CG: OUR SPECIES' REPRODUCTION DOESN'T EVEN DEPEND ON THAT BIOLOGICAL BISECTION OF SEX ANY MORE.  
CG: OUR GENETIC MATERIAL IS MIXED WITH THOUSANDS OF OTHER TROLLS IN THE FRANKLY KIND OF DISGUSTING PROCESS THAT LEADS TO WIGGLERS, SO SEX PLAYS NO PRACTICAL ROLE IN OUR SOCIETY OR RELATIONSHIPS.  
CG: WHAT SORT OF CHEST FEATURES I MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE UNDER MY SHIRT HAS ZERO BEARING ON MY PERSONALITY AND REALLY ISN’T BE ANYONE ELSE’S FUCKING BUSINESS UNLESS WE’RE ABOUT TO PAIL.  
CG: IT’S ALMOST AS PERSONALLY INTRUSIVE, INANE, AND IRRELEVANT AS THE MATTER OF MY BLOOD COLOR.  
GC: 1M SORRY  
GC: 1 D1DNT M34N TO B3 RUD3  
CG: WHATEVER. IT'S FINE.  
CG: IT'S JUST NOT THAT EASY TO EXPLAIN I GUESS  
GC: W3LL R3G4RDL3SS YOUR3 ST1LL GRUMPY L1TTL3 K4RKL3S TO M3  
GC: 4ND TH4T W1LL N3V3R CH4NG3 >:]  
CG: FUCK YOU TOO

“You worry too much about that stuff,” you told Karkat the next day. You were leaning against a wall on the Land of Pulse and Haze, cane set aside for the moment. The last of the grist had just been collected, and you two were taking a breather before hunting for more.

You could hear them opening their mouth to argue, and you placed a finger on their lips. You weren’t surprised when they grabbed your finger away and began talking anyway.

“Easy for you to say, as someone who gives in to social pressures to hemotype, and doesn't have to worry about disappointing their lusus – ok not having one is even worse -” they added, no doubt catching your glare. “Everyone wants to fucking box me up like a wiggling day present – what's your blood color, what's your gender, what's your...”

Their digits were still wrapped around your finger as they talked, and their voice trailed off as you shook it free only to grab their hand with your own.

“OK, I see why you worry,” you replied. As someone perfectly comfortable with her gender and her blood color, you couldn’t truly relate, even though you could sympathize. “What I mean is, you worry about that stuff too much around me. So you're not a girl and you're not a boy; you're just a Karkat.”

You wouldn’t admit to yourself that your pulse was quickening with nerves as well as affection when you closed that gap between you two, breathing in Karkat’s rich, wonderful scent, feeling their warm hand in yours. You placed your lips against theirs chastely. You could feel the warmth of their skin, and they made a quiet, startled sound in their throat. Just as you were about to pull away, they clasped your hand tighter and shifted slightly to push their lips against yours.

Your blood pusher was palpitating loudly, but you didn’t push your luck. You wanted more, but you had a universe to build. There would be more time for this later.

“Now let's get back to killing some imps,” you said, giving their hand one more squeeze before letting them fall away.


End file.
